


Late nights and lost socks

by blue_butterfly



Category: The Hobbit RPF
Genre: Aidan is filming Poldark, Aidan is stressed, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Panic, Platonic Cuddling, Post-Hobbit, Stress Relief, burn-out syndrome, dean tries to help, this can be read as shippy or friends only
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-17
Updated: 2017-11-17
Packaged: 2019-02-03 10:48:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12746817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blue_butterfly/pseuds/blue_butterfly
Summary: Having just returned from a fun weekend with Dean at HollyCon in Japan, Aidan is fully thrown back into production of Poldark's season 2. The show's hectic schedule is taking a heavy toll on him. Talking to his best friend Deano helps to a certain degree, but one day Aidan overreacts and does something stupid. And again there's only one person he can confide in.





	Late nights and lost socks

**Author's Note:**

> Dean is happily married to Sarah in this 'verse. However, this can be read as him either having had a relationship with Aidan in the past, or as the two of them still having an on-and-off relationship when the meet (as part of my polyamory-headcanon for these three). It can also be read as non-shippy altogether and the two just being very good friends. It's up to you :-)
> 
> (This is a rescue post of an older fic that I lost when tumblr terminated my blog without notice. I'm now at blu-be.tumblr.com)

* * *

 

 

 

The first time Dean’s phone flashed Aidan’s number at an unusual time was on the day of the Cornish premiere of Poldark's season 2.

It was close to noon in Auckland, that meant it must be almost midnight at the other end of the line. Ok, but maybe Aidan just wanted to tell him how it had gone and had stayed up for that reason.

After all, they had talked about the premiere one week earlier when they were both in Tokyo at the fan convention. At that time, Aidan hadn’t seemed fond of going to the event, just like he hadn’t been fond of all the other crazy promotion stuff he was required to do for the show. He and Dean had still been texting back and forth all week after the con, so Aidan was probably just calling him to let him know it had gone well.

What the Kiwi didn’t expect was Aidan bursting into tears as soon as the call had been answered.

“Aidan? Oh my god, what’s wrong? What happened?”

“I can’t do this anymore, Deano, I just, I can’t.”

“Why, what happened? Are you alright?”

Dean couldn’t really understand what Aidan said because of all the sobbing. Something must be seriously wrong.

“Aidan, are you okay?” he tried again. “Please tell me what happened. Did the premiere not go well?”

“It did go okay, it was not a complete disaster, but…”

“But what, hm? Tell me what went wrong.”

A sigh. “I don’t know. It sounds whiny. But…it was cold and raining and I couldn’t even change into other clothes because someone had made a mistake in the schedule and there was no time, so I was in the casual jeans and jacket I had worn all week to go to work. It looked shabby and I felt uncomfortable and I’ve never wanted to go home so badly. I’m so tired.”

“I’m sorry, Aidan. I’m sorry they’re doing this to you.”

Another sigh. “I’m not complaining, Dean, because this is my job and I get paid for it. And I usually enjoy it, I mean, it’s not really hard work, right?”

“Yes, but there are limits, Aidan. They can’t just use you as they please. They need to give you a break. I mean, you’ve only just been to Tokyo and back, and it was already borderline not ok to book such a late flight for you.”

“Yeah and you know what? It was delayed, too. I arrived at Heathrow shortly before twelve and I caught literally the last tube because they failed to send me a driver. It was after 2am when I finally came home.”

“Wow. Did you at least have Tuesday off?”

“I wish. There was this breakfast radio thing, so I had to get up early. And two interviews, then a meeting, and dinner with the producers. Breakfast radio again Wednesday morning, press conference at noon, and the afternoon went by with more interviews and I don’t even remember what other crap. I had Thursday of, but there were important phone calls to make and e-mails and all that, so it wasn't really a day off either. Friday was busy with rehearsals and a briefing for the premiere, and today I was carted off on a six hour drive to St Austell. The premiere was supposed to start at seven, but we got stuck in traffic and then there was that misplanned schedule and the wardrobe malfunction. And then the screening itself…”

“How did that go?”

“Quite well…the audience liked the preview, thank god. But, you know I don’t like to watch myself on screen, and then those silly questions again….about topless scenes and sex appeal and about Eleanor and I - are we dating or no, bla bla bla.”

“Do people _still_ think you two are an item?”

“Apparently. I don't pay a lot of attention to that kind of talk, but sometimes Debbie or someone else makes a comment about it, and....you know, somehow I get the impression that the producers are not entirely opposing those dating rumours. It’s publicity for the show, after all. Some people tune in simply because of that, crazy as that may sound. They try to catch a glimpse of our 'real life relationship' in our performance or what. But then there are others, who obviously don't like the idea that we're a couple and won't watch the series because of that. So my management asked me to stage a public kiss with a random girl before the premiere, so it wouldn’t look like I was dating Eleanor. I mean, how mad is that?” His voice sank down to a whisper. “Sometimes I wonder why I’m doing this at all.”

“I’m so sorry, Aid.”

A third sigh from the other end of the line. “I’m lonely, Dean. I wish you were here. We had so much fun last week…I miss that…I wish I could go back…”

“That weekend was so out of this world, yeah. I wish we could have stayed a little longer, maybe do a little road trip together, or at least go sightseeing in Tokyo. That would've been cool. It’s a shame we had so little time.”

“Yeah…it felt so good. Seeing you again, catching up, staying up all night, talking. And being silly. The lollipop wrapper...." He laughed, then let out another sigh. "I can never be that silly with anyone from this cast. If I behaved like this with either El or Heida, then everyone assumes I _must_ be sleeping with them. And I don't get to work that much with the boys. They're all cool guys, but there's no chance for much bonding, y'know."

"Not like the Hobbit, huh? Where you were stuck with me almost 24/7."

"I'd rather be stuck with you for the rest of my life than stare at the walls of a random hotel room for much longer. I’m just so done with everything, Dean. This is a good job, but a very lonely one.”

“Aren't your cast mates there anymore? Maybe now's a chance for bonding, can't you go out with them? Just for a drink or something?”

“Nah, it was only Jack and Eleanor, and Jack already went to bed. He was feeling ill all day, the poor sod. He didn't even want to attend the premiere, but they sort of persuaded him and he had just about the same shitty day as I, crappy wardrobe included. And Eleanor, she went out of her way to comfort me today, she even held my hand on the red carpet though I'm sure that'll be the cause for much gossip again. I can’t really ask more of her, that wouldn’t be fair. And now I’m loading it all off onto you. I’m so sorry. Where are you? There’s people in the background.”

“We’re out lunching. At that oyster place, remember, I showed you a picture?”

“Is Sarah with you?”

“Yes.”

“Gosh, I’m sorry. I won’t disturb you any longer. I should go. Say hello to Sarah, okay?”

“No! Aid, don’t…ugh, just don’t hang up now, okay? You’re not disturbing me. Sarah spotted some friends at another table and is talking to them anyway. It’s okay, Aid, I’m here to listen. And I wish I could help you. I wish I was there now.”

Aidan began to sob again. “Filming starts tomorrow, Dean. Tomorrow. I haven’t had an inch of private life for weeks and I seriously don’t know if I can make it through another four months of that. I just…I want to be able to be me again.”

“Have you tried talking to anyone about that? I don’t know if that’d help, but at least asking for a little more time between events or for a more relaxed schedule can’t hurt, can it?”

“I tried that, and it worked for a while. But now with the start of the second season and all the madness, it kind of gets ignored. There’s a passage in my contract talking about ‘promotion according to demand’, some shit like that, which basically means they can make me do whatever they want, I’m their fucking puppet.”

“Won’t it get better when you’re shooting again? There won't be so much promotion hassle, at least?”

“I think so, but I’m still not sure if I can handle it all this time. It was different when I started. Less…strict. No one knew if the series was gonna be a success and people had a pretty relaxed approach about it. It was either going to be a hit or a fail, no one could know. But now there’s pressure and expectations and we’ve got to meet certain demands, and it’s taking its toll on everyone…”

Sarah came back to their table. Dean pointed to the phone, mouthing “Aidan”.

“Is he alright?” she mouthed back, pointing at her watch to indicate the time it must be at the other side of the world. Dean shrugged helplessly.

“Hang in there, Aid. I know you can do it. It’ll be hard, but just cling to the fact that with each passing day, the end draws nearer. And when it’s finally over, you’re free again to do what you want. Think of it as a reward. You’ll be free to go home and sleep, or travel, or play games…you could come on a holiday to New Zealand, that would be cool, wouldn’t it? You could stay at our place and I could finally show you all the places we missed out on last time. Go to Waihi beach and to the national park, and drive down to Christchurch like we always wanted.”

“You mean that? Like, for real?”

“Yeah, of course I mean it. I’d love to have you around, Aid -” He shot Sarah a glance, she nodded. “For as long as you want to.”

“I might take you up on that, mate.”

“I hope you do. Shall I start writing down things we can do when you’re here?”

For the first time, a laugh. “Sure. That’s gonna be a long list. And in the end, we just watch crap telly again and fall asleep on the sofa.”

Dean laughed, too. “Sarah’s gonna kick our butts - yes, there, she’s nodding.”

“Sounds like I’m in for some trouble.”

“Definitely. No, but seriously. Hang in there, and go on a nice long vacation when you’re done. You worked hard, Aidan. You deserve it.”

“Thanks, Deano.” He sniffled. “Thanks a lot.”

“Always, Aid. Always. You feeling better?”

“Mhm.

“Wanna talk some more?”

“Maybe a bit? To…to distract me before sleep?"

“Okay, so let me tell you what Batman did today….”

 

———–

 

The second time Aidan’s number flashed up was exactly one week later. Again it was unusual, since Aidan had a tight filming schedule and shouldn’t be up at that time. But maybe he had an unexpected day off and was bored. Dean answered on the second ring, cheerful because he was in a jolly mood.

“Hey buddy, what’s up?”

“Uh, just wanted to say hi, I guess, so…hi.”

“Hi yourself, Turner. That’s why you’re calling me in the middle of the night? You should be asleep!”

“It’s not the middle of the night where I am…”

“No? Where are you, then? I thought you were in Cornwall.”

“No. I’m not. I’m…I’m in Tokyo, actually.”

“Oh, okay. Again? Why, are you doing promo for Poldi again?”

“No.”

There was a bit of silence.

“I think I did something stupid, Dean.”

“What? What did you do? Aidan, what’s up with you?”

“I left.”

“You..left? Like what, the production?”

“Yeah. No. I just. I didn’t quit, I just. I ran away, Dean.”

“You did _what_?”

“I ran away. I just…I couldn’t. I can’t do this anymore, I can’t, I just…it got worse, Dean, it all got worse since last time and I…I feel suffocated, I can’t breathe, I can’t, I just _can’t_ , this is not what I want and I….I just can’t! W-we f-finished early today…was supposed to spend the weekend in London so I got on the train and I…w-when I arrived, I d-didn’t go to my apartment…w-went straight on to the airport and I a-asked for available flights and then…I don’t even know, the l-lady there said there was a free seat to Tokyo, and I paid cash for the ticket and then I just hopped on the plane and I slept the entire fucking eleven hours, _slept_ , Dean, I haven’t slept that good in ages, and now ’m here and…”

His voice started to crack.

“’m lost and I can’t get a hotel room because they’re all full and I don’t know where I am and I’m cold because I lost my jacket and my socks…”

The rest of his words dissolved into broken sobs.

Okay. This was bad.

Like, real bad.

Dean had always suspected Aidan was close to a nervous breakdown. That last last phone call had already been worrying, but this now, this sounded truly alarming. Dean could literally feel the tremor in Aidan’s voice. He had spent almost three years with the man, he sure as fuck knew how to read Aidan's emotions from every nuance and cadence of his voice. The Irishman's speech was slurred, frantic, with not so much as a pause to draw some air between words, and his breath came in short little hiccups that were on the verge to hyperventilating. Aidan also sounded confused, and if he really was out alone somewhere in the streets of Tokyo, he needed to get someplace safe before worse things could happen. If Dean had calculated correctly, it was close to 6am in Japan. Certainly not a good time to be out for someone in Aidan's state of mind, and who knew in what area of Toyko he was.

“Aidan…come on, breathe, okay? Can you do that for me? Breathe, through your mouth, in….out…slow…in…out…yeah that’s good. Try to calm down, okay? That’s good, take your time.” He listened to the younger man's breathing.

When it had become fairly regular and less stressed, Dean continued softly. “You said you lost your socks, are you barefoot or do you have shoes?”

“I have shoes. I just lost the socks.”

Dean decided not to question that for the moment.

“Okay. Can you walk, or are you hurt?”

“Nah, can walk.”

“Alright. Breathe, Aid, breathe, slow. One, in, two, out. Look around you. Is there anything that stands out, a sign perhaps, or a building?”

“There’s a laundromat over there, I think. I’m not sure. It looks fishy.”

“Okay, is there a street? Like, a broader street with lights? Something like a high street or main road?”

“Yeah, there’s one. I came from there.”

“Good. Go back to that street, Aid. Go someplace where people are, someplace with lights.”

For a while, all he heard was rustling and the sounds of traffic. Dean prayed that he was watching out for cars and crazy Japanese bicycles. The least he wanted was to listen to his best friend getting involved in an accident.

“Are you there yet, Aid?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. Look for a sign, can you see anything?”

“It’s all in bloody Chinese!!”

“Ssh, it’s okay. Walk into the direction that seems busier, where more people are. It’s more likely that there’s a hotel where crowds are.”

Aidan didn’t answer right away, but Dean could hear him breathe. It sounded laboured again, stressed.

“Calm down, Aidan. I’m here, I’m listening. I’ll direct you someplace safe, and then I’ll come and get you, okay? You just need to be someplace where you can wait, ok?”

“Yeah. Who are you talking to there in the back?”

“Sarah. She’s online, trying to book a flight for me.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“Can you see something yet, buddy?”

“There’s a sign in English. _Noodle Guy_. I think it’s a restaurant or something.”

“Is it open?”

“Yeah.”

“Does it look fishy?”

“Not so much. Run-down a bit. There’s a woman behind the counter.”

“Okay, go inside. Go inside and see if she speaks English, ok?”

Dean heard voices, fragments of conversation, someone talking loud and fast, then Aidan’s voice, high, almost snapping.

“It’s all just garbled mumbo-jumbo, I don’t understand a word!”

“Okay. Breathe, Aid, calm down. Breathe....yeah, that’s good. I'm here, you'll be okay. Now pass the lady your phone, okay? I’ll hand over to Sarah, she speaks a bit Japanese, she’ll talk to the woman, all right?”

“Yeah okay.”

Sarah’s Japanese sounded flawless to Dean’s ears, but he had little motivation to ponder the ins and outs of Japanese grammatic. All he could think about was Aidan, helpless in a foreign country. Oh god, please let him be safe! After a few minutes, Sarah held the phone away from her ear and covered it with her hand, giving Dean a quick briefing of what she’d said before handing the phone back to him.

“So, Aidan? The lady’s name is Akiko. Sarah explained that you are a tourist who got lost and she asked her to help you out. Akiko is going to hand you a note with an address in Japanese and she’ll call you a taxi that will take you to the Intercontinental Hotel. Do you have money?”

“Yeah I have my wallet.”

“Good. Take a room at the hotel, and I’ll be on my way. If you go out, take the note with you and if you get lost again, hop into a taxi and show it to the driver. But I suggest you stay at the hotel once you’re there. Akiko will make you something to eat while you wait, okay? If there’s complications, call me. I’m on my way to the airport.”

“Alright. Thanks, Deano. Thank you so much."

“No problem. Just get someplace safe, ok?”

“Yes. Yes I will.”

——-

12 hours later, the door to a double room on the sixth floor of Tokyo’s Intercontinental hotel was keyed open, and a very tired, very tousled, and very exhausted Kiwi tiptoed inside. It had taken Dean a great deal of skill to convince the reception lady that yes, he was expected and no, the current occupant wasn’t going to mind if she gave him a second key card.

He found said occupant soundly asleep, curled up tightly on his side under the thick coverlet. Aidan looked pale and worn out. There were dark rings under his eyes, and sharp lines that hadn’t been there when they last met, although sleep had relaxed his features and his face looked soft in the warm glow of the light.

Apparently, he also had no other luggage than the clothes he had worn, now neatly folded across the chair in the corner, and his wallet and phone, which were on the nightstand. However, Dean was just glad Aidan had made it to this room safely after the earlier ordeal. And since Aidan was safe and obviously not hurt or injured or in any other way distressed, Dean decided not to wake him up but instead join in for a few hours of sleep. They could always talk later; after all Dean wasn’t Aidan’s agent or his manager and therefore there was nothing urgent that needed to be discussed. The brunet deserved some sleep, and so did Dean.

There were two options: either the small couch that was on the wall opposite the bed, or sharing the bed with Aidan. Dean opted for the couch even though it looked less than comfortable, but he really didn’t want to risk waking his sleeping friend up. As quietly as he could, he tossed off his boots and pulled off his jacket, shirt, and jeans. A quick dash to the bathroom, some water splashed onto his face and torso, a fresh shirt wrangled out of his bag before he tiptoed back into the room. No sooner had he sat down on the couch than there came a sigh from the bed, followed by a sleepy noise and then….

“Hmmm….Deano?”

“Yeah, I’m here. Go back to sleep, Aid, we’ll talk later.”

“Why are you over there where I can’t see you?”

Sometimes, Aidan was just too adorable.

“Because there’s a couch here and I didn’t want to wake you.”

“I’m awake now. Come here…please?”

“Are you sure….”

“Yes.”

Dean padded over to the bed, pulled the covers aside and slipped inside. For a moment, he was glad that this was a traditional hotel with a double bed and enough space for them both, not one of those hideous 'capsule’ things that mushroomed all over the place. The moment passed when Aidan rolled over and practically wrapped himself around Dean, wild black curls tickling the Kiwi’s nose and the brunet’s body hot like a furnace against him. Dean knew it was futile to put up resistance, so he just hugged Aidan close and started to pet his back.

“Thanks,” the brunet whispered. “I’m really grateful you came.”

“Always, Aidan. Did you think I’d let you roam the streets of Tokyo in that state you were in? No way.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it, I can’t even tell you how much. How did you manage to get a flight? That must have been bloody expensive at such a short notice. Jesus, and all because of me. I'm so sorry. Of course I’ll pay…”

“Ssht, you’re not gonna pay anything. It wasn’t even that expensive. Sarah knows someone who knows someone who works for Air NZ. We were told to come to the airport, there were a few phone calls, a little story about an emergency and then I got a nice seat in the business class. It’s fine. I was just worried about you. How are you feeling now?"

“Better. Sleep helped.”

“That’s good.”

“I feel….kinda stupid, actually, for this entire stunt and all.” Aidan blushed, hiding his face against Dean’s chest. “It was stupid.”

“Yeah, it probably was. But I don’t think you were making a conscious decision to run away, were you?”

“Nah, not really. I mean, I don’t even remember half of the trip and how I ended up in that…place…quarter…whatever.”

“Why Tokyo though, Aidan? Why not Berlin or Amsterdam or Paris, or anything else. Why Tokyo, of all places? Were you afraid they would find you if you went someplace else?”

Aidan shook his head, still hiding his face. “No. That…was not the reason. It was more….I think it was because….I was happy here. At the con, with you.”

“Aaaw.” Dean tousled the black curls. “Were you so unhappy at the Poldark set? Was it that bad?”

“No, it wasn’t. I wasn’t unhappy. More like stressed, or pressured, although no one ever said a word in that direction. But there was…is…a huge pressure now with series two, we all feel it. It’s…not as lighthearted anymore as the first one. And all the publicity stuff really gets to me. All the press kits and the rumours and speculations and then there’s a premiere here and awards there and you have to show your face at all these events…and all I want to do is do my work, and do it right, you know? But I can’t, because there’s no chance to get into character because it’s being Ross in the morning and then being whisked away cross-country to some ceremony, smile smile to the camera, look hot, sell yourself, then more interviews, you get carted back to wherever and get dropped at a random hotel and in the morning you don’t even remember where you are…it’s madness, and apparently I don't take well to madness. I thought that this time around I was better prepared, I mean, I had four months off and basically did nothing at all, I thought I would be cool going back to work, but obviously….I thought wrong.”

He paused, snuggling closer. “I’m sorry, I’m dumping this all on you again.”

“It’s fine, Aid, I told you I don’t mind. And to be honest, it’s about time you talked to someone. Seriously, this is nothing to take lightly. It’s a burn out, and you’ll need to see someone about that, okay?”

“’m seeing you.” Aidan attempted a joke, but Dean was rather serious.

“I mean it, Aidan. You should talk to a specialist. And also to your reps, I guess you haven’t done that yet?”

“Nah….I didn’t dare to call them yet.” He shook his black curls.

“Well, you should, sooner or later. Just to let them know you’re ok, they’ll probably be worried.”

“And pissed off.”

“Yeah, that too, but that’s what you need to work out with them.”

“They’ll fire me. My agency will fire me, and the producers will fire me as well. I pretty much ruined my career.”

“You don’t seriously think that they’ll let you go now, at this time. Maybe there’ll be a small fine, yeah, for your messing up the schedule or what. But they know what they have with you, they won’t screw that up just because you lost your nerves once.”

Aidan looked up, sighing and smiling sarcastically. “What you mean is they know their assets, and that I have a current market value that’s attractive enough so they’ll let me get away with my antics. That sounds awful, doesn’t it? Like I’m an overbred racehorse or something.”

“What I meant was rather that everyone’s aware you’re a damn fine actor, Aidan, and a damn talented one at that.”

“…especially when I’m naked.”

Dean let out an exasperated sigh. He gently put a hand underneath Aidan’s chin and forced him to look up. “Yes, there’s a pretty face and a nice body coming hand in hand with the package and that certainly doesn’t hurt, but they didn’t hire you for that, did they? They didn’t see you naked on the Hobbit and say, wow, that guy has a nice chest, let’s get him for this role. Do you remember what you told me? Both the producer and the screenwriter designed the script pretty much with you in mind, because they were impressed by your performance. Don’t belittle yourself and the work you do. You’re amazing at what you do, and that’s why people want you for their projects.”

Aidan only blushed, so Dean rambled on. “And I’m sure everyone will understand when you’re being honest about your state of mind. They’ve put too much pressure on you, and if they want to keep making this series with you for some more seasons, they need you to be healthy and ok so you can continue giving them the performance that they hired you for. There must be a way to relieve some of the stress. It’s not okay to push you around and pack your schedule full to the point of exhaustion.”

“I guess they could...probably...work something out. I don't know. I’ve never asked. I should have mentioned this to someone, instead of letting it come so far. Instead of overreacting and running away. I’ve never actually dared to talk to anyone about my issues. I never said that I was tired. That I needed time off, that I don’t take well to such hectic. I didn’t say anything because I always thought….I always thought I was replaceable, Dean. That I was doing a fairly ok job, but that I had no grounds for complaint because they would fire me and hire someone that does the job better than I ever could.”

“Oh, Aid…”

“I’m not used to being the leading man, y'know. To be able to make demands. I need to wrap my head around that first.”

“Promise me you’ll talk to your management, Aid. I don’t want to see you so stressed out ever again. I don’t want to have to come pick you up from the other end of the world again. Not that I don’t mind, but just imagine what could have happened to you. Please, Aidan.”

“I will,” he nodded. “Let’s just sleep now, I’ll call them when we wake. It’s early morning on Sunday in London, they’ve probably not even noticed yet that I’m gone.”

Dean smirked. “You don’t believe that, do you?”

“Nah. But they’ll think that I’ve maybe just switched my phone off, or don’t answer it on purpose. So if I’m lucky and I can go back tomorrow, I’ll only miss the Monday shooting and maybe there will be little actual damage.”

“…if _we_ can go back on Monday.”

“Huh?”

“I’m coming with you.”

“Dean, you don’t have…”

“I know, but I want to, Aidan. Just in case you need a witness or something. And if they’re nasty to you, I’ll give them a piece of mind.”

“You just can’t stop playing the older brother, huh?”

“Never.” Dean chuckled, kissing the top of Aidan’s head. “And now, sleep. I’m knackered as hell after this adventure. The things I do for you. Although there’s something you’ll need to explain to me later.”

“Which is?”

“How on earth did you manage to lose your socks?”

"That's a very long and very weird story..."

They both laughed at that, and soon after they drifted off to sleep.

 

 

 


End file.
